About Us
First Steps International Academy opened in June of 2002, FSIA is a fully bilingual preschool committed to creating a community of motivated learners on an individualized basis.
We are a Platinum accredited school, part of the international VESS Network, and we use the world-renowned VESS Model to nurture individuals with the necessary skills and habits of mind to live meaningful lives with balance and wisdom.
Edu1st.Preschools
We are part of Edu1st.Preschools, a family of 6 Early Learning Centers located in South Florida that go beyond providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for autonomous learners between the ages of 3 months and 5 years.
Our schools live within a Culture of Thinking. Every aspect, from the Physical Environment, the Language our educators use, to the learning opportunities we create, is carefully crafted to engage curious minds in awing experiences that lead them to want to know more and to think deeply. We bring the world into the classroom, nurturing life-long curiosity and cultivating children’s innate love for learning.
Edu1st
Edu1st is a pioneering organization created in the United States in 2000 that seeks, with integrity and passion, to transform education by promoting a lasting Culture of Thinking. To achieve this purpose, Edu1st created and developed the VESS Model, a model of institutional transformation that is being implemented in many educational institutions around the world.
The VESS Model
VESS is a pioneering, eclectic, and holistic model that harmoniously integrates different strategies, approaches, and methodologies with the Thinking as a Pedagogical Strategy (PEP) methodology. VESS seeks to develop individuals who lead meaningful lives, with balance and wisdom.
It is a model that aims to go beyond the classroom to transform societies through the consolidation of a lasting Culture of Thinking.
The VESS International Network
We are an Edu1st.Preschool and part of the VESS International Network. This means we are part of a global educational institution network, integrated for more than a hundred schools in 7 countries. Whose purpose is to incorporate the latest global educational trends and apply them into our schools, a Culture of Thinking that lasts, developing individuals who will be prepared for the challenges of the current world and future.
The VESS Platinum Accreditation
FSIA is a Platinum VESS Accredited school. It is awarded to the centers that have consecutively received the VESS Gold accreditation, thus evidencing the consolidation of a sustainable VESS Thinking Culture. This accreditation recognizes the quality of the education and confirms its members have established a Culture of Thinking, living a true educational transformation and generating an impact that transcends the institution and transforms societies.
We are accredited
APPLE (Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment) is a national early learning program accreditation. APPLE is one of the largest accrediting agencies for early learning centers. In Florida, APPLE is accepted as one of Florida’s Gold Seal Quality programs.
Studies show the positive effects of high-quality early learning centers on the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional outcomes of young children.
APPLE was developed by owners and operators of early learning centers and is grounded in the unique perspective of the business of childcare. The owner/management team has the greatest impact on the quality of any early learning center, and the developers of the APPLE program recognized the importance of balancing the standards to improve quality and the financial impact it may have on the children and families served.
This certification is just one way we make sure we offer the best programs available for your children!
Our sister schools location
Our Core Values
Edu1st.Preschools are driven by unifying values: we live and breathe them always inside the schools, with our families and the community.
Commit to amazing service by empowering yourself to make a difference and deliver unique and remarkable experiences
The transparency of your actions with integrity, honesty, and kindness, is the foundation to build trust and achieve balance
Our purpose drives our passion and inspires the way we live, when we share our passion, our happinness and satisfaction is multiplied
Pursue excellence, be proactive adding value and responsability to your actions to grow and move forward
Constantly look for new and better ways to nurture curiosity, empower fun, creative learning, and innovation. Be the leader of new
Enjoying what we do with a positive attitude is contagious. Its boosts productivity and brings happiness and fun to everything we do and everyone around us
Build open honest relationships by listening, considering perspectives, skeaking transparently, and making contributions to a common goal
We are team that support and trust each other. We have the back of the people around us and we work together to achieve great things and have fun in the process
Our Team
We’re delighted that you’ve decided to explore First Steps International Academy. We understand that looking for the right school is an important decision.
